WHEREAS:

Existing law, passed in 1986 by Congress and supported by AFSCME International provides for a prohibition on the manufacture or importation of armor piercing ammunition based on the specific materials from which it is made, to wit: "a projectile or projectile core which may be used in a handgun and which is construed entirely from one or a combination of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium;" and

WHEREAS:

The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 expanded the definition of armor piercing ammunition to include "a full jacketed projectile larger than .22 caliber designed and intended for use in a handgun and whose jacket has a weight of more than 25% of the total weight of the projectile;" and

WHEREAS:

There are currently no restrictions on ammunition that may be manufactured from any other materials, and which can pierce bullet-proof vests; and

WHEREAS:

Recently certain private manufacturers of ammunition have indicated their intentions to design handgun ammunition specifically capable of penetrating bullet-proof vests; and

WHEREAS:

Such ammunition, if in fact manufactured, would be logically intended only to murder law enforcement officers; and

WHEREAS:

Any handgun ammunition which is designed to penetrate a police officer's bullet-proof vest is abhorrent to any decent standard of civilized society; and

WHEREAS:

"Performance-based" standards, which evaluate ammunition's actual ability to penetrate body armor, make more sense in helping to decide which ammunition ought to be outlawed than do standards based on what the projectile is made of.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That AFSCME International goes on record as condemning such ammunition, and urges Congress to set aside any partisan or "turf" considerations in enacting legislation which includes performance-based testing standards on actual vest penetration to ban ammunition which is specifically designed only to penetrate bullet proof vests.

SUBMITTED BY:

Gary Waterhouse, President and Delegate
Curtis Searle, Secretary
AFSCME Council 15
Connecticut